I stumbled across the work of Latina/Chicana Alma Lopez almost year ago while still toiling over the details of how terryhowcott.com would look and feel. All of the brilliant Alma Lopez’s work is remarkable, but this one moved me to no end.Her story is equally compelling as her work – this strong Latina Sister who was catapulted to unwanted attention after putting forth her own unique artistic expression of her spirituality in her piece “Our Lady,” (1999), and was wildly denigrated and ostracized in the process . . .See her depiction of a most prepared Latina.

February 21, 2007

Staccatoed Memories of Andrew Anthos

Andrew Anthos, you may have heard is the 72 year old Detroit man who was harassed, assaulted, and beaten on February 13th, and died yesterday, February 22, 2007.A young man on the bus, reportedly asked him if he was “gay,” followed him off the bus to his apartment building and beat him with a pipe into a coma.

Raising up the concerns of the Black disabled, but here is also a link to the upcoming movie, “My Brother,” the first time not just one, but two Black disabled actors are playing in lead roles.Starring Vanessa Williams, Fredo Starr . . .See the trailer . . . very nice.

February 16, 2007

Listen, just a few words about Mr. hardaway. First, I think he made these statements because he was asked to. He was a perfect person to do this. After all, he had nothing to lose. While he was a good ballplayer he wasn’t the finest that ever played the game, and his statments here will only propel him to a short-lived punishment.

But, this is what is most telling. Tim Hardaway has never made a public statement about anything. He’s never said a word about Black homelessness, or children who are hungry in the U.S. He’s never made any statements about the Prison Industrial Complex nor has he co-sponsored any anti-war protests. He has one single claim to fame, and that is that he hates a a whole population of human beings. Okay, so fine.

Noone takes a litmus test for character to be a professional baseketball player. They’re young, they can play ball, they sign a contract, they keep their nose relatively clean – and they make millions of dollars. They don’t have to love community – and IN FACT, they don’t even have to plug in unless they absolutely have the desire. Most don’t – or are not able.

From a Black perspective, if Tim Hardaway understood the immense divisions that already exist in Black communities – he would have taken that time he took for that interview and spent it in the library learning a few things about the subject matter. But, alas’ that is the case also for all those folk he was speaking in behalf of.

The moral of the story is that Tim Hardaway has much to learn about Black Unity off the basketball court. AND THAT my friends, should not suprise any of us. They pay him millions of dollars to notknow what the heck he’s talkin’ about.

And with that, all he’s doing is earning is keep. Ironically, I’ll bet he would be first in line to call someone who sells his position to the devil “a punk.”

Honorable Mention: More than a notion for a Black Athlete to come out of the closet as Same Gender Loving – which is really akin to “Coming Home” in evolving to full self-actualization. Here’s some footage of John Amaechi speaking, playing a little B-Ball, and generally being charming at “Amaechi Speaking, Playing, and Just Being.”

This is the first of other entries for this week. But, in case you missed yesterday’s honoring of Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day at Terryhowcott.com, remember these abundant survival resources are useful year round.